Apple iTunes To Be World's #1 Music Vendor

[Jerry Jones]

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9880001-7.html?tag=newsmap

Apple's iTunes will likely whip past Wal-Mart Stores to become the largest U.S. music retailer sometime this year.

The NPD Group issued a report Tuesday that said Apple had outpaced Best Buy and Target to become the No. 2 U.S. music retailer. Unless the downward trend in CD sales suddenly reverses, Apple will be No. 1, said Russ Crupnick, the NPD Group's president of Music.

"Digital sales were up close to 50 percent and CD sales were down 20 percent last year," Crupnick said. "Even at half that growth rate in digital sales, Apple will in all likelihood catch Wal-Mart this year."

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[paulw]

Pity that the US music industry is still paranoid about who gets to download what music in different regions.